The 1920s were an unprecedented decade for crime and criminal organizations. With the Great Depression soon to hit and many already unemployed during this period, Prohibition and the heroism of notorious gangsters made organized crime an attractive option for those in need of money. The government thought that with prohibition there would be less crime. The United States government was wrong in its thinking. “Alcohol was considered the devil's advocate and banning this substance would help improve the quality of life of Americans. This caused an explosive growth in crime, with more than double the number of illegal bars and saloons operating compared to before Prohibition” (Nash, n.d.). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay With the Great Depression looming and all factories and liquor establishments closing, unemployment was rising. The unemployed, usually uneducated workers, needed jobs. Turning to organized crime was the way for them to make money quickly and easily. For those who made an honest living, this was quickly taken away from them and, with the lack of industries recruiting, the response was to turn to the mafia and criminal organizations. They would be involved in tasks such as manufacturing the alcohol, distributing the alcohol to both individuals and illegal bars, shipping the alcohol to various cities near and far and ultimately attempting to keep the law out of their activities. Prohibition also led organized crime to expand its crimes. Manufacturing and distributing alcohol was illegal at the time, but they had to commit other criminal acts to ensure their operations survived. They began bribing police officers and other high-ranking officials with money to continue their illegal operations. Those who did not accept the bribes offered by organized crime were taken in, usually murdered so that someone else could take control and be bribed. The mob used violence to instill fear in those seeking to shut down their operations. For the most part, it worked. Many officers and high-ranking officials accepted bribes and turned away in order to keep their lives. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay It took a while for the United States government to finally restore the sale and distribution of alcohol, which eventually resolved many of the problems. While the government had allowed establishments to legally sell alcohol again, that aspect of organized crime was over, but the damage of Prohibition had already been done. Organized crime mobs had established themselves across the United States due to Prohibition. While they were no longer illegally distributing alcohol, they began distributing other illegal items and carrying out the murders of high-ranking officials who continued to prey on mobs across the United States. Many mobs got into the distribution of illegal drugs and this is still seen today with the various gangs making profits from selling illegal drugs..